ASHLAND — A pin drop could be heard Monday morning inside Archer Auditorium.
Emotions ran high as Ashland native and Vietnam War combat veteran Greg Gorrell addressed hundreds of high school students, local dignitaries and several veterans — many of which were fellow Vietnam vets.
An Ashland High School alum, the 81-year-old Gorrell was deployed in 1967 to the Mekong Delta in South Vietnam. He served in the United States Army, 3rd Battalion, 39th Infantry, 9th Infantry Division.
His service included multiple 4.2-inch mortar (High Angle Hell) illumination and high explosive round fire missions during Operation Enterprise and other missions. He also was a forward observer during enemy Viet Cong search-and-destroy missions.
“War is an ugly business,” Gorrell said as he opened his speech.
The Vietnam vet detailed what he calls “the two wars;” the one in Vietnam and the one he experienced upon returning home. He also shared memories of a journey to Vietnam in 2016 with his two sons.
Gorrell chronicles in great detail his experiences in Vietnam in his 130-page book “Vietnam Survival: There and Home.” He gifted four copies to Ashland City Schools on Monday — two for the middle school library and two for the high school library.
‘Why am I here today?’
“Vietnam veterans were vilified, they were scorned and they weren’t recognized for decades,” Gorrell said. “So why am I here today?”
He told the hundreds of students in attendance that they are the future leaders of the country. Gorrell encouraged them to embrace the principles of leadership and skill while still in high school.
“Be an advocate by promoting and nurturing the principles and price of freedom. Because if you don’t, then there’s no guarantee that we’ll remain a free nation if you don’t do your part,” Gorrell said.
“You are the rising generation. You are the ones that are going to make the difference. If you don’t make the difference, then we run the risk of losing the freedoms that so many people have fought for.”
Ashland Supt. Steve Paramore said Gorrell’s story is one of courage, but also of humanity — of “what it means to serve, to endure and to come home.”
“Today is your opportunity, an opportunity to listen, reflect and to grow. The lessons you will hear are not just about history, they’re about leadership, character and perspective,” Paramore said to students.
“They remind us that the freedoms we enjoy today were hard earned and that our responsibility is not only to appreciate them, but to carry forward the values that protect them,” the superintendent said.
Prior to Monday’s program, five Ashland High School students were recognized for their decisions to enlist in a branch of the U.S. military. Below are their names:
- Tidus Collins (Army)
- Noah Sobish (Army)
- Isla McFrederick (Army National Guard)
- Justin Pancake (Air National Guard)
- Evan Rhinehart (Navy)
Following the program, Gorrell and a select group of high school students participated in an hour-long Q&A session — building on what the veteran had shared earlier Monday morning.
Gorrell will also be featured as the keynote speaker at the annual Ashland-area Vietnam-Era Veterans Recognition Dinner, which is set for Saturday from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Ashland Eagles Aerie 2178, 400 Eastlake Drive.
